The Patawomeck in Virginia

the Patawomack once lived at Marlboro Point (1), and are developing a new tribal center at Duff Green Park (2) near Fredericksburg (3)
Source: GoogleMaps

When John Smith sailed up the Chesapeake Bay in 1608 and visited the Patawomeck at the mouth of Aquia Creek, they were on the fringe of Powhatan's parmount confederacy. The Patawomeck quickly realized that they could deal directly with the English. The "tassantassas" could use their ships to avoid crossing through Tsenacommacah. Despite Powhatan's efforts to starve the English, the Patawomeck traded corn for iron tools, textiles, and prestige goods such as copper and beeds.

In 1609, they provided a safe refuge for Henry Spelman when he ran away from Werowocomoco. Two years later, Lord de la Warre described the Patawomeck chief "as great as Powhatan," rather than subordinate to him.1

In 1613, they betrayed Powhatan's emissary rather than provide the required tribute to the paramount chief. Japasaws, the Patawomeck chief, sold Pocahontas to an English ship captain, Samuel Argall. Japasaws got at least one copper kettle in exchange. Powhatan lost control, and later Opechancanough was unable to get the Patawomeck to join in the 1622 or 1644 attacks.

The tribe is now seeking to rebuild a tribal village at at Duff Green Memorial Park, on Marlborough Point in Stafford County. That would provide a permanent base, eliminating the need to create a temporary site each year at Fort AP Hill for education and outreach. The tribe is the only one officially recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia without land for a permanent home.

The original town site is underwater now, but the park is near where the Patowomek lived when Pocahontas visited in 1613. A Stafford County supervisor, supporting donation/lease of the local park to the tribe, noted in 2019 the tourism potential related to historical sites:2

There's lots of people traveling down to Jamestown to look at them. With this, we will get them and capture those tourism dollars, and get them into our restaurants

In 2019, the county and tribe arranged for a 10-year lease of a 17 acres at Duff Green Park, with optional lease renewals for up to 50 years. The tribe will use the Duff house for educational museum exhibits, and build a cultural village showcasing native plants of significance to the lifeways in the past. The entire project, including upgrading the acccess road, was projected to cost only $334,000.3